Customer Success shouldn't be selling. That's exactly why it drives more revenue growth. Scott Lerner believes the biggest opportunity in B2B sales isn't winning new customers. It's what happens after the deal is signed. Most customer success teams are measured on expansion. Scott believes that's where many organizations start solving the wrong problem. The moment every conversation becomes commercial, you stop being a trusted advisor and start becoming just another vendor. On the B2B Sales Trends Podcast, Harry sits down with Scott Lerner, Senior Vice President of Global Services at Akamai Technologies, to explore why the renewal starts the day the contract is signed, why many services organizations are trapped in what he calls "hour's jail," and why customer outcomes matter more than billable hours. Scott challenges several assumptions many sales leaders still believe: • The renewal starts the day the deal closes, not when the contract expires.
• Customer Success should uncover opportunities but avoid negotiating deals.
• Price is rarely the real reason customers leave.
• Today's buyers need better questions, not more product education.
• AI is making the traditional services model harder to defend than ever before. 🔗 Explore more insights: https://globalperformancegroup.com/ 📘 Download the whitepaper "You're Entering the Deal Too Late" 👉 https://globalperformancegroup.com/resources/#papers 📈 Try the Revenue Accelerator: 👉 https://revenueaccelerator.globalperformancegroup.com ⏱️ Timestamps
00:00 Customer Success begins after the sale
05:04 Why customer outcomes matter more than renewals
09:00 Growing accounts without losing trusted advisor status
11:57 Escaping "hour's jail" with Outcome Based Selling
16:22 Building Customer Centricity through curiosity and empathy
19:59 Better questions beat better pitches Key ideas explored
• Why Customer Success has become one of the biggest drivers of Revenue Growth.
• The hidden trade off between selling more and building trust.
• How post sales teams can uncover expansion opportunities without acting like salespeople.
• Why modern buyers expect better questions, not better presentations. About Scott Lerner
Scott Lerner is Senior Vice President, Global Services at Akamai Technologies, where he leads a global organization of more than 2,300 people focused on delivering world-class customer outcomes and maximizing product adoption. With more than 20 years at Akamai, he specializes in customer success, Professional Services, Service Delivery, and building high-performing teams through trust and customer-centric leadership. Connect with Scott on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lerner-scott/ 📣 If this conversation challenged your thinking, share it with your team. 🎥 Want the full video conversation? Watch it on our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@b2bsalestrendspodcast 🔗 Explore more: https://globalperformancegroup.com/ 📘 Download the whitepaper "You're Entering the Deal Too Late" 👉 https://globalperformancegroup.com/resources/#papers 📈 Try the Revenue Accelerator: 👉 https://revenueaccelerator.globalperformancegroup.com 🎙️ Want to be a guest on B2B Sales Trends?
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